Controversy has risen over plots of land that Turkey's Syriac [Assyrian] community has claimed were offered to them for the establishment of their first church in Istanbul. Two alternative spaces also offered to the Syriac community by the Istanbul municipality belong to the Armenian and Greek foundations respectively, it has emerged.

One of the land plots offered is allegedly a historical cemetery belonging to the Armenian community and the only property belonging to the Surp Stephanos Church Foundation in Istanbul's Yeşilköy district. The other piece of land belongs to the Greek Hagios Stephanos Foundation.

Controversy has risen over plots of land that Turkey's Syriac [Assyrian] community has claimed were offered to them for the establishment of their first church in Istanbul. Two alternative spaces also offered to the Syriac community by the Istanbul municipality belong to the Armenian and Greek foundations respectively, it has emerged.

One of the land plots offered is allegedly a historical cemetery belonging to the Armenian community and the only property belonging to the Surp Stephanos Church Foundation in Istanbul's Yeşilköy district. The other piece of land belongs to the Greek Hagios Stephanos Foundation.

such is the justice of a kangaroo court. setting more crafty longterm trap to snare the rest of the minorities as well..

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To God be the Glory in all things! Amen!

Only pray for me, that God would give me both inward and outward strength, that I may not only speak, but truly will; and that I may not merely be called a Christian, but really be found to be one. St.Ignatius of Antioch.Epistle to the Romans.

I could not believe the audacity of it! God grant us unity in the face of such things!

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"This is the Apostolic Faith, the Orthodox Faith, and the Faith of the Fathers. Having this wonderful treasure, let us preserve it, let us keep it, and let us also use it in such a way that this treasure becomes the victory of Christ in us and in His Church." ~ St. Severus of Antioch ~

Controversy has risen over plots of land that Turkey’s Syriac community has claimed were offered to them for the establishment of their first church in Istanbul. Two alternative spaces also offered to the Syriac community by the Istanbul municipality belong to the Armenian and Greek foundations respectively, it has emerged.

One of the land plots offered is allegedly a historical cemetery belonging to the Armenian community and the only property belonging to the Surp Stephanos Church Foundation in Istanbul’s Yeşilköy district. The other piece of land belongs to the Greek Hagios Stephanos Foundation.

The land options were proposed to the Syriac community 10 days ago, according to K.H., one of the leading figures of the Syrian community.

“They present us lands belonging to other minority communities,” K.H said. “They aim to create polemics by giving us land which belongs to another minority community. This is a scandal in its true sense.”

Officials from the Surp Stephanos Church Foundation expressed disapproval at the municipality’s recent offering. “This is the only property belonging to our foundation. We have difficulties in meeting our needs, so how could we give this land to someone else?” Arev Cebeci, one of the administrators of Yeşilköy Surp Stephanos Church Foundation, said.

The Surp Stephanos Church Foundation is currently involved in a legal case against the municipality over the return of property. “Just after the approval of the new foundation law to return properties, we opened a legal case against the municipality and won. However, the Metropolitan Municipality brought the case to the Court of Appeal. We believe that the court’s decision will be in our favor,” Cebeci said. The foundation would consider releasing the land on only one condition, Cebeci said. “If the Syriac community wants to buy the land, we could consider delivering it.”

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality refused to comment on questions from the Hürriyet Daily News. “As an individual, I believe in the importance of cooperation between the different minority groups in Turkey,” said Greek-origin Laki Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in the Foundations Directorate General.

“The Syriacs have been struggling to establish their own church for a long time. Their struggle should be supported, but I insist on the fact that my individual opinion does not interest my community,” he said.

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The Tur Abdin Timeline - A timeline of Tur Abdin (Syriac for "the Mountain of the Servants [of God]"), the heartland of the Syriac Orthodox Christians, a hilly region located in upper Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates.